Latch for play pens



March 2, 1954 LATCH FOR PLAY PENS Filed Jan. 13, 1953 INVENTOR. %F/

BY z m E. A. WESTERFORS 2,670,932

iaten tec l Mar. 2, 195 4 LATCH FOR PLAY PENS Erick A. WQStBI'fOIS WCStmiIIStEI', Mass, assignor to Gardner Wood Products (30., Inc., Gardner. Mass; a corporation of Massachusetts Application January 13, 1953, Serial No. 331,007

This invention relates to improvements in folding play yard and is directed more particularly to releasable locking means therefor. I

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a releasable locking means for a play yard which is constructed so as to be readily and easily manipulated when desired and arranged whereby it may not be readily operated by the infant occupying the play yard.

A play yard with which the locking mechanism may be used is shown and described in U. S. Letters Patent No. 2,489,188 of November 22, 1949, which includes relatively hinged portions of side members. Said portions in open position of the play yard are in coplanar relation and the mechanism hereof is arranged to releasably lock the portions in said relation.

All of the above objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangements of parts thereof, as will fully appear by a perusal of the description below and by various specific features which will be hereinafter set forth.

To the above cited and other ends and with the foregoing and various other novel features and advantages and other objects of my invention as will become more readily apparent as the description proceeds, my invention consists in certain novel features of construction and in the combination and arrangement of parts as will be hereinafter more particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed and more fully described and referred to in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figs. 1 and 2 are plan and side elevational views, respectively, of adjacent hinged together portions of a side rail of a play yard having the locking mechanism of the invention associated therewith;

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevational view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the lever of the looking mechanism shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Referring now to the drawings more in detail, the invention will be fully described.

Portions of members of a side rail of a play yard are represented by 2 and 4 which are hinged for relative swinging movements by a hinge 6 secured thereto by screws 8 or the like.

The members 2 and 4 are shown in open position of the components of a play yard and are 'releasably locked in this position by the mechanism of the invention.

A bracket ID has a lower plate l2 and an ear or ears I4 through which screws l6 extend for :securing the bracket to the rail portion 2. Screws,

1 Claim. (01. 256-25) not shown, may extend through plate l2 the member 2.

A central portion (8 extends downwardly from the plate Ill between the ears l4 and at an opposite side of said plate a portion 20 depends therefrom which is bent outwardly at 22 and then upwardly at 24 to form a lever receiving slot 26 which is open at its upper side.

An elongated bolt 30 is provided which has a button 32 on one end and a head 34 on the other end thereof. A compression spring 36 surrounds the bolt ,30 and is disposed between member 20 and the head 32 of said bolt.

Said spring 36 and bolt 30 are reciprocable in portions l8 of the bracket and the spring urges the bolt to the right so that the head 34 of the bolt abuts the portion 20 of the bracket in look-- ing position of the bolt. The head 34 of the bolt is reciprocable in portion 24 of the bracket.

A lever 46 is pivotally connected at 42 to member 4 and has an opening 44 in the non-pivoted end thereof which is provided with a restricted throat 46 into said opening.

The bolt is depressible to the left in Fig. 3, to non-locking position so that the head 34 of the bolt passes out of the slot 26 of the bracket.

As the bolt is held in non-locking position against the spring, the lever may be swung so that its non-pivoted end enters the slot 26 of the bracket. As the lever is swung downwardly, the bolt 36 passes through the throat 46 of the lever, the end of the lever being disposed inwardly of the bolt head 34. When the bolt is released, the head 34 enters the opening 44 so that the lever cannot be swung upwardly since the head 34 cannot be passed through the throat 46.

The mechanism, as shown in the drawings, is in locked relation so as to prevent relative swinging of members 2 and 4. The lock bolt may be depressed to move head 34 from the opening 44 of the lever whereby the lever may be swung upwardly from the slot 26 of the bracket. I

Preferably the non-pivoted end of the lever will be formed so as to bottom in the slot 26 of the intobracket and align the opening 46 with the head 34 of the bolt to insure ready entrance of said head into the opening.

Thus it will be seen that the bolt is depressed and the lever swung into the slot of the bracket for locking members 2 and 4 against relative movement. They are unlocked by depressing the bolt and swinging of the lever upwardly.

The invention may be embodied in other speciflc forms without departing from the essential characteristics thereof. Hence, the present embodiments are therefore to be considered in all respects merely as being illustrative and not as being restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated joy the appended claim rather than by the foregq asenimeh, andall momfiaaeons and variations as fall within the meaning and purview and range of equivalency of the appended claim are therefore intended to be em braced therein. I

What it is desired to claim and secure b5? Letters Patent of the United stares is":

Releasable locking means ear aaiaeenp felongated rails having horizontal upper efiia'rower and front and rear opposite sides and hingedly connected on the front sides thereof for relative swinging in horizontal planes comprising, a bracket havinga lower plate portion for the later side of one of said rails and upwardly ex"- tending front portions for securing to the front side of sa'id'one rail and a front depndingpbrtio'r'r-a U shaped portion depending from the-rear portions or said lower plate having laterally spaced walls providing aslot therebetween open at its upper side, an elongated bolt slidable horizontally forwardly in said walls and depending portion into locking position and rearwardly into unlocking position, having a head on the rear end thereof, a lever adapted for pivotally connecting to rear side of the other of said rails on a horizontal axis and having a free outer end receivable the slot or said bracket and provided with and opening of acertain diameter therethrough having a throat of a certain width extending thereinto from the lower edge of the lever, said bolt having a body portion adapted to pass through the throat of said opening and an enlarged head the rear end thereof reciprocably receivable in 'the fopening at the bolt forwardly into locking pas-idem "and spring means urging the bolt into locking position.

ERICK A. WESTERFORS.

References Cited in the file of this patent "nNrrED FSTATES PATENTS demise? name ne e21,8 1 Croft May 29, 1906 1,701,670 Feldinan Feb. 12, 1929 

